SCHOOL TEACHERS, GRIEVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 5

SCHOOL TEACHERS , GRIEVANCES.

THE DRILL INSTRUCTORS.

SALARY AND PROMOTION PROBLEMS. LEGISLATION DESIRED. , Various alleged grievances were vrnt.l* luted last night at tho annual meetiiijj of tho Wellington District Education Institute. Mr. \V. T. Grundy said that he could not congratulate the executive ou Die annual report. If he W orc asked to characterise it ho would suv that it was tumo timorous, and colourless. There was uotk. mg deiinite respecting salaries or tho now, dfiinite respecting salaries or the new syllabus, and the junior training system and tile physical drill system were dismissed m a lew lines. A member of Parliament iuxi, ii lew days ago, described the teachers as seething with discontent. Was there uiiy evidence of that in tho report? If thero was, it was hidden and unseen llio branches had complained, but the annual lvporfc presented to this meeting did not show that. If they were going u> carry reforms they would not carry thorn by sitting down. They wero iiovr having a system of physical education introduced, and it had taken, nine months to yet it talked about. A man had been appointed at JM a year-but perhaps it was better not (0 say auv more about it. However, there was n. largo body of keen teachers who understood all about children, and had done inlcndid work 111 that direction, but not ouo of them was deemed to be worthy of tlio position. It was too highly-salaried a post, for 0110 thing; teachers would not know what to do with so large a sum. (Laughter.) JNow a number of physical instructors wero being appointed at .£2OO per year, mi man y of tnem were teachers? lhero were four women instructors who wore to be paid .£2OO, and in tho Wclliiigton district thero wore only six women teachers who wcro being paid that salary, were there no teacher applicants? Hβ happened to know that there were. Ho thought that people of Wellington would see the injustice of (lie appointments made, and ho liopud that if any other appointments wero to be made they would go to teachers.

Mr. A. M'Kenzio remarked that Mr. Grundy had said just what he wantod to say. Tho position at present iva-s that if ono wanfcd '.in appointment they had A voice: Crawl for it. Continuing, Mr. M'Konzio said that' the present state of affaire was unsatisfactory. Miss Rowley expressed the opinion that, tbo leaders did not complain of tho salaries paid to the drill instructors; they wanted their own salaries raised comrnensuratcly. (Hoar, hear.) Mr. J. J. Trainor: Is it a fact that tho physical instructors will have the power to givo teachers marks of proficiency? I understood from Mr. Royd Garliclc the other day that that would be so, and it follows that if wo do not fall in, with his ideas wo will bo blackballed. Mr. Grundy: Wo shall objoct. Mr. Trainor: If we <iro to bo at the mercy of these men, who havo had nothing at all to do with schools, I do not know where it is going to end. Tho chairman: Nothing official has come to us. Wo know nothing about what you havo asked. The cnSirman: , With regard to this lanio timorous report Voices: And colourless! \

Tho chairman: I may state that with" regard to the salaries and tho syllabus, at any rate, wo havo taken a pretty decided stand, and I am quite sure that Mr. Grundy was not present at our meetings when wo held very long sittings on these subjects. lam not at liberty at presuut, on account of tho press bciiiff present, to acquaint you of ju6t how nuicli increase wo asked from tho Government, but it was a pretty considerable sum. Mr. Grundy gave notice- that ho would move at tho next ordinary meeting of the institute a, protest against teachers who had to give physical culture instruction being required to wear any distinctive dress. "1 had the pleasure of seeing that dress the other day," ho observed. "I don't want to eee it introduced." ■ During tho meeting a communication from the Dumedin Headmasters' Association was road. This communication was an expression of disappointment "at the statement of the Minister for Education that it was not his intention to introduce any legislation this session with regard to education." The meeting endorsed tho Duncdin sentiments, and, in addition, resolved :— "That this institute is extremely dissatisfied with thedccloredintention of tho Minister for Education not to in- ■ troduoo legislation this session lor tho purpose of—(1) Increasing tho unstable salaries of teachers; and (2) of providing a new staffing of schools." "That grave dissatisfaction exists in regard to the way in which teachers are appointed and promoted." "That tho Minister bo asked to introduce immediate legis)ation to reinstate teachers who liavo been penalised through falling attendance, and to ensure that no teaclisr .shall in futuiro be so penalised." Mr. C. Uar.v (who presided) α-emarltcd: that it was alarming to hear that the Miuistur could not see- his wn.v <o introduce educutiun legislation this .session. There teemed to bo disMlisfnclion among tho teachers throughout A'evy. Zealand. .Teachers' salaries were insufficient. The idea of basing tho salaries on tho average attendance of tho pupils wits not right. In Wellington at present a number of Iwyg and girls were away from school as the result of vaccination, but why should tho teachers sulfer financially ,iw this. The Minister should sco that teachers wr-ro bettor treated. The pupil-teacher system should be abolished, and in his place tliore should be an assistant. Work would, then go along more systematically. The classes teachers luul to handle were fat too large.